Doffing and donning mechanism



A E. SMITH ET AL Nov. 30 1926.

DOF'FING AND DONNING MECHANISM I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fild July 15. 1926 Nov. 30 1926.-

A. E. SMITH ET AL DOFFING AND DONNING MECHANISM Filed July 13. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Svwewtom 23247 fiw/ia Mb 492%; W,

Nam 30 $9 25.

A. E. swim ET'AL 'DOFFING AND DONNING MECHANISM Filed July 13, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALISTER E. SMITH, OF LAURENS, AND CLYDE C. SMITH AND JESEE A. LANDS, OF SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA.

DOFFING AND DONNING- MECHANISM.

Application filed July 13,

The object of this invention is to provide a simple mechanism for simultaneously removing all the filled bobbins and discharging them simultaneously into a suitable receptacle alongside the spinning-frame and also to place on the spindles simultaneously a fresh set of empty bobbins, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings annexed- Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, illustrate one form of carrying out our invention.

In the drawings annexed, 1O designates the usual row of spindles mounted upon the machine-frame 11, affixed to the front side of which are two or more guide bars 12 having grooves in their faces for the reception of sliding bars 13 forming parts of a frame which is vertically slidable in a plane in front of the row of spindles, the remaining parts of this frame being the horizontal bar, 14, vertical end-bars l5 and an intermediate horizontal tie-rod 16 which passes through eyes 17 on the upper ends of rods 18 adjustably mounted in lugs 19 carried by the aforesaid slide bars 13.

This frame may be raised and lowered by any suitable mechanism. Vie have shown a pair of bell-crank levers 20 Whose upper ends are connected by a horizontal movable rod 21 and which are attached to horizontal pivotal shafts 22, the downwardly-extending arms of these bell-cranks being provided with fingers 23 which lie under the lower ends of the rods 18. These bellcranks are operated on their pivots 22 by means of a lever 24 pivotally mounted on one of the shafts 22 and having an arm 25 which carries a roller-pin 26 lying under one of the bell-crank arms. By working the lever 24 back and forth, the frame may be raised and lowered, and, in order to render this movement easy, we counterbalance the frame and connected parts by attaching a counterbalance 27 to one of the shafts 22.

On the aforesaid vertically-movable frame, we mount both the filled-bobbin dolfers and the empty-bobbin donners. The empty-bobbin donning mechanism consists of a series of tubes 28, one for each spindle 10, these being rigidly aflixed to a horizontal bar 29 whose ends are aflixed to angle-arms 30 whose upper ends are pivotally attached to the vertical end-bars 15 at 31, the arrangement being such that, when the vertically-movable frame is raised to a preverted position, being supported, points R down, by a closure spring 33 associated with each one of the tubes 28, so that, when this tube-carrying-frame is inverted, as shown in Fig. 2, the butt-ends of the bobbins will point downwardly and the bobbins, as

stated, be in a position to drop directly on the spindles when they are released. Each one of the tubes :28 is closed at its upper end by a gate 34, these gates being all attached to a horizontal bar 35 hinged to the upper ends of the tubes 28, so that they may all be opened simultaneously to drop the empty bobbins on the spindles. Springs 36 are used to hold these gates normally closed, small handles or fingers 36 being provided for conveniently swinging the hinged bar 35.

The filled-bobbin removing devices consist of pairs of grip loops 37 projecting outwardly from a pair of parallel bars 38 connected together at their ends by short upright pieces 39, the frame thus constructed being pivotally hung on the aforedescribed rods 16 by means of arms 10. These parts are so proportioned that, when the slidable frame is adjusted to a predetermined point with reference to the spindles, it may be swung upwardly and inwardly so as to bring the pairs of loops 37 directly in vertical alinement with the filled bobbins; then, by lowering the slidable frame on the ways 12, the loops 37 will slide down over the respective filled bobbins. A gripper ll is provided for each pair of loops 37, these grippers being mounted on a rod 42 journalled on the end-bars 39 and provided with handles 43 for rocking it to release the grippers simultaneously. A suitable number of coil-springs 44 is provided for holding the grippers in gripping position. Then the loops 37 are lowered onto the filled bobbins, the grippers 4.1 normally bite into the arm, without injuring the same, so that, when the loops 37 are raised through the medium of the slidable frame, the filled bobbins will To thus hold the filled bobbins suspended temporarily, we provide apair of hooks T (as shown particularly in dotted. lines at the top of 2). When the dofling is completed by,the dropping of the empty ,bob-

bins, the hooks 45 are aetuated to release the filled-bobbin carrier, thus permitting it S i rdly o rm pp l f ion, with the points offihe bobbins downwardly, the tube-carrying frameis swung outwardly and -permitted to assume its normal inverted position, then theslidable frame is lowered to bring the filled bobbins and empty tubes to a ,point ,eonsid'era bly below the row of spindles, where they wil ljnot only be out, of the way of the loom-attend ant, but will bein conyenient position for removing the filled bobbins and ,also for filling the tubes with empty bobbins (as shown in dotted lines at the lower part of Fig. 2)..

To relieve the operator of manually holdin up the nam when it is 'adjnsted to dolfing and donning position, any suitable holding device may be employed; as one means for this, we have shown a notehed segment which is adapted to engage -P. l:. st s me bein s euee w l 011 the bearing 52 of the adjacent shaft 20 and chine, a mounted in front of the row of spindles of the spinning machine,

a iockable fraiiie pivotally mounted on said support on. an aggis parallel to the row of spindles, this 'roclt'able frame carrying holders for the empty bobbins adapted to hold the bobbins in an inverted position when said i qckable ssvmngQQaaiiard1y away from the vertical plane the 'spind s e r etalax '9' ad .f qck e frame being so positionedthat when said ro ckable frame is swung over inwardly to "thus {invert the empty bobbins, said empty bobbins will lie in a positiontq b edepiosited an the spindles of the spinning machine. e

2. In a machine of the set foiitha sp n ng m c in ha ing a r w; pi l a vertically-movable frame and means for raising and lowerin it, staid frame located in awplane a djacent tothe spindles and being adapted to be lowered to a position below the same, said frame "carrying dofiing and donning mechanisms, the dofiing mechanism consisting of 'an invertible. supplemental frame pivoted o n said sli able m n i in ,h b ai h' s, ai

the donning meehanism consisting of an invert h iv 'al i m u fi d nes slid'able frame andparrying donning holders. In testimony whereef we hereunto iaili x our signatures thist28th day of Jahj9-,,s1-92e.

ALisrrEe E fiMITH. .QLrD .b 0.. 'SM I JESSE A. LANDS. 

